God Save National Public Radio

Vivian Schiller Tells MarketWatch Media Columnist Jon Friedman Why NPR Is Among The Big Players

(MarketWatch)  This analysis was written by MarketWatch media columnist Jon Friedman

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When Vivian Schiller talks about National Public Radio, the network's new president and chief executive displays the fervor of a convert. You might say she is, having joined NPR last month after serving as the general manager of the New York Times' Website.

As I listened to Schiller evangelize the virtues of NPR, I half expected her to close her eyes respectfully, place a hand over her heart and declare: "God save National Public Radio!"

It might not be a bad idea for a media chief to look for some sort of divine inspiration or even heavenly intervention. Amid the crippling recession, media companies are laying off employees in droves and cutting back on the news they publish and broadcast.

Schiller recognizes the tenor of the times but she can still talk the NPR talk like some sort of carnival barker. Then again, given NPR's strengths, Schiller is justifiably proud of her new home.

I asked Schiller why she ultimately was tempted to abandon her perch at the Gray Lady's Web business -- a position that combined the prestige and stature of the Times with the pride that comes from running the fastest-growing business sector at the corporation.

She didn't flinch -- heck, she barely paused to take a breath once she got on a roll.

"You can count on one hand the number of really important news organizations in this country," she said, perhaps not recognizing that the newspapers, magazines and broadcasters who didn't make Schiller's private cut might be a tad offended.

"NPR one of those organizations," she told me, in staccato fashion. "It has an incredibly powerful audience -- more (so) than any other media organization."

Schiller, as it turned out, was just getting warmed up. When she discussed NPR's ability to pull off the rare feat of offering local, national and international news coverage under one roof, she proclaimed: "We're the only ones who can."

I qualified that by asking if she intended to imply that NPR was the only organization in its medium that can accomplish this feat.

"In of media," she said, adding dismissively, "Forget about radio. The television O & O's [owned and operated stations] can't do it. The AP [Associated Press] is perfectly fine but it's a wire service."

On the innovative list

Why shouldn't Schiller brag about her new employer, anyway?

NPR, indeed, has the juice in the media world. The magazine Fast Company ranks it 28th in its survey of "The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies," placing third in the entertainment category. NPR produces and transmits news and cultural programs with a particularly strong reputation in advancing the nation's political discussions in such popular and well-regarded shows as "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered."

These two shows have been among the most popular radio shows for the past decade. NPR, in its own right, ranks at or near the top of the most-trusted news sources in the nation.

What exactly is NPR, then? It's a nonprofit membership outlet that, contrary to popular belief, gets virtually all its funding from private sources. It serves as a national syndicator to more than 850 public radio stations nationwide.

According to NPR spokeswoman Danielle Deabler, 43% of NPR's operating revenue comes from membership dues and programming fees paid by member stations; 29% from corporate sponsors; 15% from grants from foundations and supporters' gifts; 8% from NPR's investments and 5% from non-programming sources. Out of that entire revenue pie, roughly 2% comes from government grants, Deabler says.

NPR was created in 1970 after Congress passed the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The act established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and paved the way for the creation of the Public Broadcasting Service.

"We have over 25 million people tuning in every week -- that's extraordinary," she said.

"The quality is there. The audience is there. The national/lcal mix is there. (But) I don't feel that NPR has exploited -- no, what's the right word -- manifested its brand."

Melding capabilities

Schiller said her top priority now is to meld NPR's capabilities with the loose network of big, small and college radio stations under its huge umbrella -- and become a bigger presence in the Web universe.

"We want to extend that (influence) to digital platforms," she said. "The Web. Mobile. So you get that full range."

You can't underestimate the attachment that public radio's audience has to the institution. To say the listeners cherish NPR is an understatement.

Still, NPR's reputation for being self-serious can be glaring and maybe even a little grating to some. In the hilarious best-seller, "Stuff White People Like," author Christian Lander pokes fun brilliantly at public radio's image.

Lander wrote: "Public radio provides white people with news and entertainment that has the proper perspective (their own)."

But Schiller pooh-poohed the notion that NPR is overtly liberal in the way it presents the news everyday.

"Listen to our news coverage," she challenged me, with a smile. "You tell me if it's liberal. No, it's not liberal -- it's a news organization."

MEDIA WEB QUESTION OF THE DAY: Do you trust what NPR presents, or is it too liberal or too conservative for your listening taste?

[tomadams99]

If they cannot make it in the free market...dump them in favor of a program system that can make it. It makes most hard working people weary to continually bail out, and "help" the hapless.

[denn034]

The possible resurgence of the Fairness Doctrine is as much a threat to NPR as it is to conservative talk and religious radio as well. Will God save NPR? Why would He save a NPR that advocates Satan''s agenda? Don''t get me wrong, freedom of speech and expression applies to all, even those I disagree with.

[hdc77494]

I listen to both NPR and Rush on a daily basis. While NPR''s liberal bias is more sophisticated than most, it''s still there. Mr Bush vs President Obama or President Clinton. They even go so far as to neglect to mention party affiliation and ignore real platform differences. Aadly I even hear snide jokes about people that cling to religion. Even after all that,I still listen because they give me a somewhat in depth look at the stories they do cover. I found the headline "God save NPR" quite funny due to their blatant ridicule of religion in most programming. NPR beggs for money two or three times a year to stay on the air, while the much denegrated Rush pulls in $40 mill a year personally, and probably $80-100 million for the stations he is on. NPR could learn a great deal from Rush regarding brilliant political analysis.

[cheetah-man7]

Rush Lintball appeals to plenty of college-educated people who work in business -- I have to listen to my obnoxious brother-in-law (MGT degree and job)spew Lintball bile at every holiday. Let''''s not slander the poor-southern whites as being ignorant. I bet many of them listen to NPR too.


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Posted by JoePack61

Those poor white trash southerners who listen to NPR are those who deserve a chance to find happiness in the north - away from mobile homes, pickup trucks with rifles, Assembly of God''s, and Piggly Wiggly''s. God, I hate the South!

[afsc30574]

"Listen to our news coverage," she challenged me, with a smile. "You tell me if it''s liberal. No, it''s not liberal -- it''s a news organization."

The liberal bias is overt, and discrenable. Yes. listen for yourself and notice how every criticism of a liberal cause or person is immediately followed by a caveat or explanation, while that of conservatives or conservative views is stated as fact.

[creeper00]

After Michael Powell and Ken Tomlinson''s years of politicizing public broadcasting Schiller has her work cut out for her.

[rushlimpdrug]

"she proclaimed: "We''re the only ones who can."

I qualified that by asking if she intended to imply that NPR was the only organization in its medium that can accomplish this feat."


Hey Mr. Reeetarded Reporter, she just told you and
you still asked?

A sign of a good reporter is: the reporter listens.

You, Mr. Reeeetard Reporter are not a good reporter.

[juwboy]

wagolf1:

Gentile-Americans outnumber Jewish-Americans by about 50-to-1.

Gentile-Americans outnumber Jews worldwide by about 20-to-1.

If you don`t like the way our democratically-elected politicians are spending your tax dollars, vote them out of office -- Jews are outnumbered by 50-to-1 at the ballot box, too.

[t0m_hunt]

NPR''s bias is readily identifiable to those who do not share it. It is a particular brand of liberal thinking: conservative liberalism. These are not liberals open to new ideas. Conservative liberals advocate for the social engineering policies of a benevolent Marxism. These are the disillusioned elite. The Ivy League educated and their private college admirers who advocate for the "right" vision of Liberalism. They enjoy the privilege of our society while deploring the condition upon which their privilege is dependent. These are the intellectuals who send their children to Sunday school for their social standing, but don''t actually know anyone who believes Jesus was more than a very good man and teacher. Conservative liberals are inured to any challenge of their bias. It doesn''t matter that science today can demonstrate that an embryo at the earliest stage of development is human, and is a unique being. They cling to the outdated science of the early 1970''s that couldn''t distinguish between a first trimester human embryo and any other mammal. Now that science knows better, wouldn%u2019t liberals revisit the social policy established when science knew less? NPR is blind to their bias. Conservative liberals and NPR conform the news to reinforce biases formed in the socialist movement of the early 20th century. It is a view in the political ascendancy today, and we can all be certain we will discover the self-indulgence, patronization, and social vice that accompany it.

[wagolf1]

Liberal?

Well, they do seem to support ethnic cleansing of Muslims.

The First Step!

To win the war on terrorism.
To have peace in the Middle East.

Stop paying Radical Jews to murder Palestinians.
Stop paying for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

Stop pouring my tax dollars down the rat hole of the radical religious welfare system of Israel.
The most destabilizing entity in the world since its fraudulent inception.

Israel is one more example of the failure of Judaism.
Israel is an embarrassment for the USA.
Israel is an embarrassment to humanity.

The atrocities committed against the Palestinians are not justified by the atrocities of Hitler, just the opposite.
The USA should not support the Radical Jews murdering Palestinians, stealing their property, homes and businesses.
The USA should stop paying to create Radical Islamic terrorists.
The USA should stop paying to create Ghettos, The Gaza Ghetto.

Why are my tax dollars paying for Ethnic cleansing?
Why are my tax dollars paying one religious group to murder another religious group?
Stop the insanity.

ManCreatedGod.

[elz523]

It is not wise to have the government dictate what one should hear. This is what dictators do. Competition is a good thing; liberals and conservatives have an equal oportunity to voice their opinions and should not have to be forced to be political correct. I personally prefer talk radio and while public talk radio is fine; it is largely sponsored by those that have a liberal spin - so it''''s not that balanced either.

Posted by ddrm2 at 05:28 PM : Feb 17, 2009

So are you saying that Rush Limbaughs sponsors are balanced?

[elz523]

I listen to NPR all the time. They present the news and let the chips fall where they may. I don''t always like what they have to say, but I remember they are only reporting the news, not making it.

Conservatives typically hate NPR and have tried repeatedly to kill it. The only media the right wingers hate are those that report the truth. Right wingers fear the truth because it makes them and their supporters look ignorant. That is why Rush Limbaugh is so revered. He is both brilliant and deceptive and allows his followers to feel secure in their ignorance by giving them a framework philosophy to hang their ignorance on.

[joepack61]

propoghanda mouthpiece forthe left.
--- Posted by notblue at 05:12 PM : Feb 17, 2009

What do you ABC''s lockstep adherance without complaint to Bush''s ban on reporting and photographing the Iraq war dead? I call that a propaganda mothpiece for the right.

[joepack61]

Rush Lintball appeals to plenty of college-educated people who work in business -- I have to listen to my obnoxious brother-in-law (MGT degree and job)spew Lintball bile at every holiday. Let''s not slander the poor-southern whites as being ignorant. I bet many of them listen to NPR too.

[joepack61]

I listen, once in a while, to two Public Radio Stations: one based in a college community and the other based in an inner-city. One has more white content and the other has more black content - and excellent jazz music. To say that NPR is white is to make a false statement. Both stations are factual in news coverage and appeal to issues in each community. The author Joe Friedman abviosly used a shameless title to get readers attention, and the Liberal vs. Conservative arguement in the commentary doesn''t contain one shred of discussion about false journalism on the part of NPR.

[ddrm2-2009]

It is not wise to have the government dictate what one should hear. This is what dictators do. Competition is a good thing; liberals and conservatives have an equal oportunity to voice their opinions and should not have to be forced to be political correct. I personally prefer talk radio and while public talk radio is fine; it is largely sponsored by those that have a liberal spin - so it''s not that balanced either.

[notblue]

propoghanda mouthpiece forthe left.

[jaykay3141]

/* Good old left wing NPR and IT''''S [sic] public funding (my taxes). " */ - dumdnc

Uh, dum, please check your facts before posting. Only about 2% (that''s one-fiftieth, 2 cents out of every dollar) of NPR''s funding is public. The rest comes from private donations, from some of those big corporations that are supposedly run by true-red Republicans, from grants, and from foundations.

Over the last 8 years a good bit more than 2% of my taxes went to the war, highway pork projects, illegal immigrants, and destruction of the EPA (just to name a few items) so I guess we''re even.

P.S. I listen to NPR *and* Michael Smerconish, so which side does that put me on?

[roger3815]

Your god is fake.

[texasbeta]

With the so-called "Fairness Doctrine", it would seem that Liberal Democrats believe radio listeners are too stupid to change the radio dial for themselves.

Posted by CBSisPravda1

We are not too stupid to know what a run-on sentence is, however. I''ll bet you complain about illegals who can''t use the English language...funny, neither can you.